In current media environments, there is not a great deal of flexibility if a user plans to output a series of media items such as photographs, videos, or musical selections. Typical state of the art allows the user to specify a complete directory of media items, multiple directories, a specific media item, or a network share of media items (e.g. a web site collection such as an MSN Group). These techniques for grouping and selecting media items are very limited in scope.
The use of media items in computerized environments has become increasingly common. Computer users often have thousands of digital images or music files archived on their hard disks. Many computer users now use photo or music organizational products to categorize and organize their photographs or music. These organizational products allow users to tag their media with metadata. The metadata may include information about the tagged photo, such as date taken, subjects, or relevant event. For music this may include information about the artist, album or genre of the music. For both photo and music this may include a user “rating” of the data. This metadata is currently useful for searching for a particular photograph or music file, but is typically not used for more advanced selection.
Unlike music files which are often casually listened to, other than occasional printing and sharing with other computer users via electronic mail or photo archives, users have few uses for their digital images. Some users will set a screen saver to display stored digital images and others display stored digital images on external display devices.
These external display devices are becoming less expensive and more common. As the prices of electronic picture frames drop, these devices will become even more commonplace. More advanced sharing applications are also being developed, such as through e-mail or instant messaging. As this happens, users will demand more flexibility in the selection of photographs for display on these devices and for existing and future applications of sharing. Without more advanced techniques for selecting photos, the vast majority of stored digital images sit idly.
Another problem with most currently known techniques of sharing media items is that a user is typically required to take an overt action to access the media items (e.g. open the mail, interact with an IM session, visit a web site). Devices such as the electronic picture frames mentioned above are compelling because the photos are displayed in a more “passive” fashion. However, the electronic picture frames typically hold a small fixed number of photos and display this fixed list of photos until the list is updated.
Accordingly, a solution is needed that improves and develops the concept of selecting a series of media items (photographs) for either sharing or display. The solution should allow specific rules to be developed for determining which media items should be selected and or displayed.